Annual skating show at Taunton's Aleixo Rink helps out Cronan Family

Friday

Dec 14, 2012 at 12:01 AMDec 14, 2012 at 2:04 PM

For the fourth straight year, the Skating Club of Southern New England used its annual Holiday Exhibition to help raise donations for the Corline Cronan Family, the non-profit that runs the annual holiday meals for the less fortunate in Taunton.

Christopher Nichols

For the fourth straight year, the Skating Club of Southern New England used its annual Holiday Exhibition to help raise donations for the Corline Cronan Family, the non-profit that runs the annual holiday meals for the less fortunate in Taunton.

This year, the club collected two boxes of donated hats, gloves and mittens for the Family. At their holiday meals on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter, the Corline Cronan Family also gives out new and gently used clothing to those in need.

“The charity tells us what is most helpful for the donations,” said Gail Green, President of the Skating Club of Southern New England. “...Last year, we did canned goods.”

In the month leading up to the Holiday Exhibition on Thursday, the Skating Club collected donations from its members and their families.

Before the start of the Holiday Exhibition, the boxes of donated clothing were given to a representative of the Corline Cronan Family.

Founded under the name of Taunton Family by Sister Corline L. Cronan, who passed in 2004, the now renamed Corline Cronan Family has offered hot meals and warm clothing at the Coyle and Cassidy High School to those in need on the holidays for more than 30 years.

Holiday Exhibition

The Skating Club took to the ice on Thursday for the annual Holiday Exhibition, which ran from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Aleixo Skating Arena.

“It’s a low-key event for the kids to play some holiday music and showcase what they’ve been working on since the fall,” said Christine Russell, a member of the board of directors who co-chaired the Exhibition with fellow board member Jackie Corey.

“This is just pure fun,” Russell added. “Just skate, have fun and do what you want to do.”

For the Exhibition, skaters performed in 35 different numbers to holiday tunes such as “Frosty the Snowman,“ “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,“ “Let it Snow” and “Jingle Bell Rock.”

Unlike the Skating Club’s Annual Show each spring — which is a competition involving about two months of practice — the Holiday Exhibition is more laid back and meant to be fun and festive for the skaters. Any skaters can perform together — as opposed to being grouped based upon skill level — and many of them create their own number for the Exhibition.

“It is, a lot of them, their first time creating a program without their coach,” Russell said.